Chronicle of Events 1949 July January Congress of Chinese Writers and Artists (renamed to The China Federation of Literary 31 The name Beiping (北平) was reverted to and Art Circles) held the First National Exhibi- Peking (北京 adopted to Beijing in 1958) tion of Fine Arts at National Peking Art College. after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conquered the city. 2–19 The First National Congress of Litera- ture and Art Workers met in Beijing. A total of six-hundred-fifty delegates February participated the congress, including eighty-eight art workers. The China Fed- 15 The government took over the National eration of Literary and Art Circles Peking Art College. (CFLAC) was founded. 21 China Artists Association (CAA) was founded in Zhongshan Park, Peking. April The Exhibition of New Guohua, featured more October than eighty artists, was held in Zhongshan Park, Beijing. 1 The People’s Republic of China was founded. May November 25 Shanghai was taken over by the PLA. 23 National Peking Art College combined with the art department of North China Univer- sity, establishing the Central Academy of June Fine Arts (CAFA) in 1950. 6 Shanghai prepared to establish the Shanghai Artists Association. # Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020 459 Y. Zhou, A History of Contemporary Chinese Art, Chinese Contemporary Art Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1141-7 460 Chronicle of Events 1950 November CAA published four issues of the art journal 7 National Hangzhou Arts College was Renmin Meishu (People’s Fine Arts). renamed to CAFA East China Campus (renamed to the Zhejiang Fine Arts Academy in 1958, and then to the China Academy of January Art in 1993). 17 The Art of the Revolutionary History Com- mittee was founded in Nanjing, to prepare 1951 for the opening of the National Museum of the Chinese Revolution. March 1 The National New Year Prints Exhibition was February held by CAA in Beijing, showing four hun- dred forty artworks. 16 CAA and Xinhua Bookstore co-hosted the 1950 National New Year Prints Exhibition in Zhongshan Park, Beijing. June 16 The Cultural Relics Bureau of the Ministry April of Culture drafted a three-year reconstruc- tion plan of the city of Dunhuang. 1 CAFA held its inauguration ceremony. Xu Beihong was appointed to be the first president. August People’s Fine Arts Publishing House was May founded in Beijing. 5 CAFA completed the Ministry of Culture’s mission of revolutionary history paintings, painted by Xu Beihong, Wang Shikuo, Li 1952 Hua, Feng Fasi, Dong Xiwen, Ai Zhongxin, Xia Tongguang, Jiang Zhaohe, Zhou July Lingzhao. The Committee of New Year Prints Prize Jury was founded, selecting the finalists amongst one August hundred artworks. The research department of CAFA East China 2 China Art Exhibition opened at the Forbidden Campus established the Ethnic Art Heritage City, featuring twelve hundred artworks Research Committee. Pan Tianshou and Wu Xi from ancient and modern times. were named directors. October 1 China Art Exhibition opened at the State Tretyakov Gallery in the Soviet Union. Chronicle of Events 461 August September The project of relief on the Monument of People’s CAA hosted the First National Graphic Art Exhi- Heroes in Tiananmen Square started and bition in Beijing, including three hundred works completed in May 1958. by eighty-six artists from nineteen provinces and cities. 1953 October February 10 Xu Beihong Memorial Hall opened in 28 The Ministry of Culture approved the estab- Beijing. lishment of the Chinese Painting Research Department (renamed Ethnic Art Research Department). Huang Binghong was 1955 appointed to be director, and Wang Zhaowen worked as deputy director. February 19 Konstantin Maksimov, a Soviet oil painter, September arrived in Beijing and opened the Maksimov Workshop to teach socialist real- – 9.16 10.10 CAA hosted the First National ist painting at CAFA. Guohua Exhibition, featuring over two hundred artists. 9.26 Xu Beihong, CAFA President, March CAA Chairman, died of a stroke fi at age fty-eight. 25 Painter Huang Binhong died at age ninety- two in Hangzhou. 27 The Second National Art Exhibition, November co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and the CAFA opened at the Beijing Exhibition 4 CAA hosted Soviet Union Prints and Draw- Center, which was open in October 1954. ing Exhibition. May 1954 8 Works of Käthe Kollwitz Exhibition opened at January Zhongshan Park, Beijing, including her metal and stone works, wood prints, sketches, and 20 CAA began to publish its journal Meishu drafts. (Fine Arts), three years after Renmin Meishu (People’s Fine Arts) was published. 462 Chronicle of Events June November 14 Qi Baishi, Chen Banding, He Xiangning, 1 Central Academy of Arts and Crafts Yu Feian and fourteen other ink artists (CAAC) was established in Beijing. Deng collaborated on a large-scale artwork Jie was named director, Pang Xunqin and “Song of Peace,” as a gift to the World Lei Guiyuan were deputy directors. Peace Council in Helsinki, Finland. 12 The Modern French Art Exhibition opened in Beijing. October 1957 9 Dunhuang Historical Relics Research Center collaborated with Palace Museum in hosting January Arts of Dunhuang Exhibition, opening at the Palace Museum. 15 Meishu Yanjiu (Art Research) began publi- cation in CAFA. 1956 March The Second National Guohua Exhibition opened in Beijing. 16 The National Youth Art Exhibition opened at Working People’s Cultural Palace, featur- ing 900 artworks by 845 young artists. June 1 The State Council passed the resolution of July fostering Chinese painters and artists by establishing two painting academies The Anti-Rightist Campaign began and 550,000 (non-educational institutions) in Beijing and intellectuals were labeled rightists and Shanghai. persecuted. Jiang Feng, president of CAFA and vice chairman of CAA, was identified as the head of an anti-party group, and then labeled as a August rightist. 7 Works by Adolph Von Menzel, nineteenth 16 Chinese People’s Association for Friend- century German painter, were exhibited in ship with Foreign Countries hosted Exhibi- Beijing. The show travelled to Shanghai in tion of Graphic Art of German Master November. Albrecht Dürer. 10 Shanghai Art Museum opened on Nanjing Road, Shanghai. August Mexican painter David Alfaro Siqueiros vis- ited China and gave a lecture. 4–21 Soviet artist Vera Mukhina, Vladimir Favorski, and ten other Soviet artists Chronicle of Events 463 held an exhibition at the Shanghai Exhi- Museum of China (built in 1958–1962), have bition Center. been used, wholly or partially, as space to exhibit artwork. Southwest Art Academy was renamed as 1958 Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (SFAI). Zhao Wenliang and Yang Yushu, leading Three Red Flags Movement, consisting of the figures of the No Name Group, met at Xihua General Line for socialist construction, the Great Fine Arts Continuation School, Beijing. This Leap Forward and the people’s communes, was was the beginning of grouping of China’s mod- launched. ernist artists in the nation. Northeast Art Academy was renamed to Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. January August 23 French-China Association for Friendship hosted the Chinese Art in the Last One 18 Jiangsu’s Pi county began its mass mural art Hundred Years Exhibition at the Musée creation activity as part of Three Red Flag Rodin, Paris. La Maison des Artistes Movement. People’s Daily reported that all organized a public symposium, introducing the public and private walls of the thirty- the development of art in modern China, four villages of Pi county were covered in especially highlighting artist Qi Baishi. murals. March October 3 Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts 4 Frans Masereel Art Exhibition opened at (GAFA) was established. Hu Yichuan was Zhongshan Park, Beijing, featuring the first president. 369 works. September 1959 26 Tiananmen Square’s expansion project was The Ten Great Buildings were built in Beijing to completed and became the largest public commemorate the tenth anniversary of the estab- square in the world with an area of lishment of the PRC. They are the Great Hall of 400,000 square meters, able to hold the People, the China Revolutionary History 400,000 people. Museum, the Cultural Palace of Nationalities, the Chinese People’s Revolutionary Military Museum, the National Agriculture Exhibition December Center, the Beijing Railway Station, the Workers Stadium, the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the 23 The Exhibition of Propaganda Posters of Minzu Hotel, the Overseas Chinese Hotel. The Ten Years, co-hosted by CAA and People’s first five, in addition to the Beijing Exhibition Fine Arts Publishing House, opened. Center (built in 1954) and the National Art 464 Chronicle of Events 1960 1962 January February 20 New Year Prints Exhibition, hosted by 5 Dunhuang Art Exhibition opened in CAA, opened at Zhongshan Park in Beijing, Shanghai. featuring one hundred seventy-nine pieces of artwork. March March 11–25 CAA hosted the Exhibition of Tibet Life Drawing in Beijing, featuring one 16 Museum of Jiangsu Traditional Chinese hundred twenty-four works by artists Painting Institute opened. Fu Baoshi Dong Xiwen, Wu Guanzhong, Shao became the director, Qian Songyan became Jinkun, Xiao Xiao, Zhao Youping, the deputy director. among others. June April 6 People’s Liberation Army Academy of Art The construction of the National Art Museum of was established. The fine arts department was China (NAMOC), with 6000 square meters of added in 1978. exhibition space, was completed. Liu Kaiqu, a sculptor, was appointed to be the first director. July May 22 The Third Congress of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles opened in Beijing. 5.22– The Ministry of Culture and CAA 7.1 co-hosted The Third National Art Exhi- bition at the NAMOC, exhibiting 1115 1961 paintings and sculptures, 355 craft art pieces, 535 copy of art publications.